Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Easy My Ultimate Mac and Cheese with Celeriac
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
25 mins
35 mins
1 hour
Serves:
Serves 6
An easier take on My Ultimate Mac and Cheese with Celeriac from Great British Menu Season 19. Both overnight rests are gone - the milk infuses in ten minutes and the celeriac and macaroni are drained straight from the pan - and the layering drops from five tiers to three. The cheese sauce is rebalan...
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Ingredients
FOR THE CELERIAC PUREE:
1 medium celeriac (about 1 1/2 lb / 700 g), peeled and cut into 1 in / 2.5 cm dice Salt and black pepper - to taste
FOR THE MACARONI, TOMATO LAYER AND TOPPING:
12 oz / 340 g dried macaroni 4 large ripe tomatoes, finely diced 1 tsp salt 1 tsp caster sugar 2 oz / 55 g extra sharp Cheddar cheese, grated 2 oz / 55 g Parmesan, finely grated
FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE:
600 ml whole milk 1/2 onion, root left on 3 bay leaves 3 oz / 85 g butter 3 oz / 85 g all-purpose flour 5 g English mustard powder 10 oz / 280 g extra sharp Cheddar cheese, grated Nutmeg, salt and black pepper - to taste
EQUIPMENT:
Large saucepan Slotted spoon Blender or stick blender Medium saucepan Box grater Fine sieve Ovenproof baking dish, about 9 x 13 in / 23 x 33 cm
Method
STEP 1: HEAT THE OVEN AND COOK THE CELERIAC
Heat the oven to 400F / 200C. Bring a large saucepan of unsalted water to the boil. Add the diced celeriac and cook for 12 - 15 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance. Lift the celeriac out with a slotted spoon into a blender, leaving the water on the boil.
STEP 2: COOK THE MACARONI
Add the macaroni to the same pan of boiling water and cook for 2 minutes less than the package says, so it is still firm. Drain, reserving about 1 cup / 240 ml of the cooking water, and set the macaroni aside.
STEP 3: BLEND THE CELERIAC PUREE
Blend the celeriac with just enough of the reserved cooking water to give a thick, spoonable puree - start with 1/3 cup / 80 ml and add more as needed. Season well with salt and black pepper, and taste: it should be savoury and clearly celeriac.
STEP 4: SEASON THE TOMATOES
Put the diced tomatoes in a bowl with the salt and the caster sugar. Stir and leave to sit while you make the sauce - the salt draws out some of the liquid and concentrates the flavour. Drain off any pooled juice before you assemble.
STEP 5: INFUSE THE MILK
Put the milk, onion half and bay leaves into a medium saucepan. Bring just to the boil, then take it off the heat, cover, and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve and discard the onion and bay.
STEP 6: MAKE THE CHEESE SAUCE
Melt the butter in the pan over a low heat, then stir in the flour and the English mustard powder. Keep the heat low and stir for 2 minutes, until the raw flour smell has gone. Add the strained milk a little at a time, stirring constantly, until you have a smooth sauce a shade thinner than you want it. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the grated Cheddar until it melts. Season with a good grating of nutmeg, salt and black pepper.
STEP 7: ASSEMBLE
Stir the drained macaroni into the cheese sauce. Spread the celeriac puree over the base of the baking dish. Spoon over half the macaroni cheese, scatter the drained tomatoes evenly across it, then top with the rest of the macaroni cheese. Scatter the grated Cheddar and Parmesan over the surface.
STEP 8: BAKE
Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until the top is deep golden and the edges are bubbling. Let it stand for 5 minutes before serving so the layers settle.
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Instructions
FOR THE CELERIAC PUREE:
1 medium celeriac (about 1 1/2 lb / 700 g), peeled and cut into 1 in / 2.5 cm dice
Salt and black pepper - to taste
FOR THE MACARONI, TOMATO LAYER AND TOPPING:
12 oz / 340 g dried macaroni
4 large ripe tomatoes, finely diced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp caster sugar
2 oz / 55 g extra sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
2 oz / 55 g Parmesan, finely grated
FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE:
600 ml whole milk
1/2 onion, root left on
3 bay leaves
3 oz / 85 g butter
3 oz / 85 g all-purpose flour
5 g English mustard powder
10 oz / 280 g extra sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
Nutmeg, salt and black pepper - to taste
EQUIPMENT:
Large saucepan
Slotted spoon
Blender or stick blender
Medium saucepan
Box grater
Fine sieve
Ovenproof baking dish, about 9 x 13 in / 23 x 33 cm
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: HEAT THE OVEN AND COOK THE CELERIAC
Heat the oven to 400F / 200C. Bring a large saucepan of unsalted water to the boil. Add the diced celeriac and cook for 12 - 15 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance. Lift the celeriac out with a slotted spoon into a blender, leaving the water on the boil.
STEP 2: COOK THE MACARONI
Add the macaroni to the same pan of boiling water and cook for 2 minutes less than the package says, so it is still firm. Drain, reserving about 1 cup / 240 ml of the cooking water, and set the macaroni aside.
STEP 3: BLEND THE CELERIAC PUREE
Blend the celeriac with just enough of the reserved cooking water to give a thick, spoonable puree - start with 1/3 cup / 80 ml and add more as needed. Season well with salt and black pepper, and taste: it should be savoury and clearly celeriac.
STEP 4: SEASON THE TOMATOES
Put the diced tomatoes in a bowl with the salt and the caster sugar. Stir and leave to sit while you make the sauce - the salt draws out some of the liquid and concentrates the flavour. Drain off any pooled juice before you assemble.
STEP 5: INFUSE THE MILK
Put the milk, onion half and bay leaves into a medium saucepan. Bring just to the boil, then take it off the heat, cover, and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve and discard the onion and bay.
STEP 6: MAKE THE CHEESE SAUCE
Melt the butter in the pan over a low heat, then stir in the flour and the English mustard powder. Keep the heat low and stir for 2 minutes, until the raw flour smell has gone. Add the strained milk a little at a time, stirring constantly, until you have a smooth sauce a shade thinner than you want it. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the grated Cheddar until it melts. Season with a good grating of nutmeg, salt and black pepper.
STEP 7: ASSEMBLE
Stir the drained macaroni into the cheese sauce. Spread the celeriac puree over the base of the baking dish. Spoon over half the macaroni cheese, scatter the drained tomatoes evenly across it, then top with the rest of the macaroni cheese. Scatter the grated Cheddar and Parmesan over the surface.
STEP 8: BAKE
Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until the top is deep golden and the edges are bubbling. Let it stand for 5 minutes before serving so the layers settle.
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